3 Desemba

As using addicts we depended on our defects for our existence and survival. Our defects were the tools of addiction.

They served their purpose in that way of life. In Narcotics Anonymous, we are doing more than just existing and surviving. Through working and Living these Steps, we are finding a New Way To Live.

Practicing the Spiritual Principles of Narcotics Anonymous, we render these defects useless. Step Five tells us that the masks have to go. There's much work to do after we stop using drugs.

That phrase we hear in our Meetings, "don't use no matter what" becomes, "don't use now what?". When we stop using, it's just the beginning to the end of that way of life. Practicing the Spiritual Principles of Narcotics Anonymous is the beginning of a New Way of Life.

One of our first priorities is to achieve and maintain Complete and Total Abstinence. Our Gray Book states, "The program doesn't work when we adapt it to our life, we have to adapt our life to the program. " When we Practice these Spiritual Principles in our Lives, our priorities change. We are no longer living to use, and using to live.

Through Living the Steps and Practicing a Living Program; through our Relationship with The God Of Our Understanding, we get glimpses of what Freedom from some of our defects can be. We experience Hope as we trade the tools of the disease for the Spiritual Tools of Recovery. Our character and personality begin to change. We become entirely ready, as a result of Those Steps.

We begin to Practice These Principles in every area of our Lives. Our Eleventh Step tells us that enforced morality lacks the power we get by Practicing Spiritual Principles. We no longer wait for pain to motivate us.

Recovery becomes our top priority; everything else is extra. Our Higher Power is always ready and able to Help us, if we seek it.

In This Moment: Living a Spiritually Principled Life will be our top priority. We will experience Hope with each Spiritual Principle, as we put them into action.